Together Then
by IslandGurl90
Summary: A companion to the 3x23 episode.


Okay I wrote this as a companion to the 3x23episode. You may want to re-watch the episode if you can't remember it vividly, and the characters' reactions to events etc. I've just recently started watching the show and was appalled at how they handled the entire episode really. Anything that mimics the show is of course their property, all deviations are mine.

"There it is." Hank voiced, trepidation was coursing through both of them, hoping for the best but anticipating the worst. That's the life of a cop. When the person in danger is family, it's different.

"Oh my God." Erin whispered after opening the trunk. She stepped back a foot or so, the shock of seeing Justin bound and bleeding was jarring.

Erin's 'Oh my God' registered somewhere in his mind. He moved to his boy, body working on autopilot. "Oh my God. Justin." Calling his name was more for personal benefit than anything. "He's got a pulse!" The blood was warm on his fingers as he held his son's head, "Oh My God. He's been shot!"

The fear was crippling. Hank's voice was the only thing keeping her grounded. Muscle memory took over. Radio, call it in, and get help. Step 1, Step 2, Step 3. Breathe. "Lincoln 5021. Emergency. I repeat, Emergency. I need an ambulance at my current location. We have a gunshot wound victim. Get me that ambulance now!" All steps complete. There was nothing left to do. The fear was back. "Hank?"

"Justin." Hank called out his son's name, cradling him in his arms. All he knew was he couldn't lose him too.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

"It's my son!" Hank said, not really hearing what the doctor has asked him.

As the EMT and doctors spoke, all Hank could do was hold on to Justin's gurney.

"Hank let's step outside."

"Is he breathing?"

"Someone call neurosurgery!"

"Is he still breathing?" He shouted at them, no one was answering his questions.

"Checking right now Hank. C'mon let them do their job" Sharon told him as she closed the curtain to the trauma room. Too bad it wasn't before Olive saw Justin laid out with blood all around.

"What are they saying?" Erin asked, trying to make sense of what the doctors were calling out.

"Get everyone back to 21." Hank directed her.

"Hank, we don't …" She didn't want to leave. She didn't want any of them to leave Justin. It wouldn't be right.

"Now!" Hank screamed at her. Sometimes she really knew how to push his buttons. If only she'd follow orders, they'd never have to argue.

Erin watched as he walked away, hating herself a bit for flinching when he raised his voice. Hank could get angry, sure, but rarely did he ever yell at her.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Erin listened as Antonio talked about coming to him if anyone felt uncomfortable, watched as Hank rounded the corner, but all of it seemed to matter very little. Her head was with Justin.

"Hey, we got this Sarge. Think you should go to the hospital?" Atwater asked.

"Let me be clear. I don't need condolences. I need commitment … from each you. I'm going to do whatever it takes to find who did this. Anybody not comfortable with that, should take the next couple of days off. "

There it was. That's all Erin needed, Hank to be the voice of authority, to quell the fear. He'd been guiding her since she was 15 years old, and hadn't steered her wrong yet. If he could clear his mind enough to get the job done, so would she.

After the update on Justin's connection to the case she still wanted to speak to him. "Hey."

"What?"

"You have a grandson now. Just remember that." He might not want to hear it, but it wouldn't do Justin or their family any good if Hank did something that would take him from all of them.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"You think Justin is part of some robbery crew?" Hank turned to Al menacingly. The insinuation by Ruzek and now Al was really grating on his last nerve. His kid was fighting for his life. Yet, he knew Justin; the kid had a penchant for trouble.

"I mean, it's not the first time he's found trouble." Al said, intimating his prison stint.

"I would have known."

"You didn't know he was here last month. You had to find that out second hand."

Al had been his best friend, for years. He watched Justin and Erin grow, knew all the problems. If anyone in the unit had a right to call him on bullshit, it was Al.

"Hank …" Al began to speak, waved off by Hank trying to reign his emotions in.

"Why didn't he come to me Al?" All but breaking down, it was taking every muscle in his neck to keep his scream from releasing.

"Hey, come on. Listen. All that matters is finding whoever did this; and however you want to play this Hank … Hey, I'm with you on this, till the end.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

They entered a house with no announcement. They covered the door, know full well what was about to go down would not be entirely legal. No objections. They watched as he burnt a man's face on a stove. One objection; Still, they were all complicit. They're family.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

"Antonio. You stay here. Just call us if you get anything." Hank instructed. Everyone knew why, Antonio was the only one to object to the methods that had to be used. Today wasn't the day for division in the unit. Justin was family; no one goes after the family.

"Any word on Justin?" Erin asked, her thoughts all over the place.

"Goodwin called. He's being moved to ICU. She'll call in an hour with an update."

"Okay."

They were off again. Compartmentalization was the game at hand.

Xxxxxxxxxx

This time they announced. Chicago Police. They swept the house, top to bottom, knowing once again, that what was about to go down would not be entirely legal. Chicago Police. They heard the shot ring out and doubled back to give assistance. They watched as their sergeant threatened a man, knowing all the while that he would kill him if need be. Yet again, no objections. Chicago Police. They watched as the other man's prints were placed on the gun. They placed the call to indicate it was a domestic dispute. They were all complicit. They're family.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hank, can we talk?" Goodwin asked.

"Just lay it out, Sharon please."

"Hank, Justin's not coming back. The bullet caused a catastrophic brain injury, and it's inoperable. Dead brain tissue is not regenerative, so he will be on a ventilator and feeding tubes for the rest of his life."

It took everything in Hank to remain standing in that moment.

"He won't wake up. He won't recognize his family or speak again."

"I got to … I got to talk to Olive." He supplied, the only thing he could provide. The thought of agreeing to let his son go was too much to do alone.

"Well that's why I'm here. I spoke with her, she's at Med now. Olive wants to withdraw life support. She wanted me to ask you first."

Words tried to form in his mind but all he could see was his son, at different stages of life, the Christmases they shared as a family. Now, Camille and Justin were all but gone from him.

"Listen, look I know what happened to families when they hang on too long. I am so sorry. "

No words, only labored breathing. That's the only answer he could give to Sharon. There were no words that could make any of it okay.

"I'll give you a minute." She squeezed his should as she walked out and closed the door behind her.

Hank walked to the bookcase in the corner of his room, ripping it clear from its support beams with a wail that reverberated through the entire floor.

Erin choked back a sob and walked toward the interrogation rooms, signaling to everyone that she'd rather be left alone.

Hank emerged from the room with red rimmed eyes but an otherwise clean face. As he got to the stairs he turned around as if to say something, but again, he had no words.

Xxxxxxxxxxx

He clung to his son for at least an hour, not ready to let go of his baby boy. Praying, pleading with whoever would care to listen, to save Justin. It wouldn't work, and there he was whispering in his son's hear, using what little hope he had left, hoping he could hear him and know just how proud he was to be his father.

"You did good. You did good son." The tears just wouldn't stop.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hey, I heard." Burgess stands by the door, hoping she wasn't intruding. Watching Erin break down in the corner of the break room was no easy feat.

"Yeah." Erin wiped at her face to make herself more presentable.

"You've been there for me, so if there's anything that I can do …" She let it open ended intentionally, hoping there was something, anything she could do to help.

"Can you explain why this happened?" Erin began to break down again, folding her arms around to herself like a security blanket as she sat down. "I mean, Justin pulled himself up, you know? He made a new life. He had a new baby, a great wife." She stopped herself as she felt a new wave of tears wash over her.

"You can't do that. You can't ask yourself why."

"When Hank and Camille took me in, he could have made my life a living hell. He just … yeah, he was the annoying little brother you know? He was my brother. Mine. I'd never had that before."

"I'm sure he loved you as much you loved him." Burgess told her, hoping to ease some of her pain.

"He tried so many things that didn't work out. He tried being a tough guy … He tried to be his dad … He tried to be a player. Underneath all that stuff he was just a sweet kid."

"Yeah."

"To think that what took him down was just him trying to help a friend." Erin put her head on the table in front of her and just cried for a while.

Burgess heard shuffling behind her and turned to see Al watching them. His curt nod was signal enough to continue her attempt at consoling Erin.

Xxxxxxxxx

"Let me talk to you for a second." Al approached Hank as he pulled up to the back entrance.

"I don't want to talk about Justin right now Olinksy."

"I know. I know. I can't say anything that would make any of this okay. Like I said earlier, I'm with you, any way you want this to go I'm with you.

"Just say what you got to say Al." Hank was becoming impatient.

Al held his hands up in mock surrender but kept eye contact strong. "Far be it from to tell you how to grieve, but I think for a second you forgot you're not the only one."

Hank said nothing, but turned his head to the side, a bit confused where Al was going with the conversation.

"Erin is a wreck Hank."

Hank sighed loudly, and hung his head a bit. The remorse was evident.

"You lost your boy today, that's … that's something no parent should ever have to go through. All I'm saying is, she lost Justin too, I don't now, just keep that in mind you know." Al turned to go back inside, figuring he'd give Hank a minute or so. He felt like shit for ambushing the guy right after he left the hospital, but it needed to be said.

"Where is she?" Hank asked before Al got too far to hear.

"I sent her out for some air. She um … She's got the look in her eye Hank." He paused, and searched for the very look in Hank's eyes. "She's following this down whatever road it goes."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hank checked his phone and moved inside his office. This wasn't a conversation for mixed company.

"I got an address on Bingham. I want everyone rolling there now. First two to arrive, breach. This guy is on the run and could be leaving at any minute. Let's go! Hank called out as everyone moved to retrieve their gear.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

They breach with no announcement, just a flash bang. They had their man. Kevin Bingham would pay for his crimes. Sweep, apprehend, detain. Step one, step two, step three.

"Clear."

"Clear."

"Basement's clear."

"Upstairs clear."

"I got nothing."

Jay made the call to Erin, after all he made the call to inform her of Bingham's whereabouts. "Bingham's not here. No one's here. Not for a while."

"Is Voight there?"

"Not yet." Silence. "Erin? Erin?"

All day they'd made questionable decisions, turned a blind eye. Laws were broken. They were all complicit. They're family. Chicago Police. This time there would be no watching, no objections to be made, and no moral high ground to take. Their sergeant had led them away from the action. In a day filled with pain, somehow, that hurt the most.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

"Hank!"

"Thank God, Thank God. This guy's trying to kill me! I didn't do anything."

"Don't do this." She begged Hank.

"Get back in your car Erin."

"Do not throw it all away over him." She had to be the voice of reason here. They both wanted Bingham dead, but she needed to provide the out for Hank.

"Get back in your car." His voice had lost all emotion; he was resigned to the deed.

"Hank please, please, I don't think Justin would want you to do this."

"Get out of here."

"Are you sure about this?" She had to be sure there was no way to talk him out of it, she had to try.

"Now!"

"Hank …" She had given up fighting. Not that she wanted to really put up a good fight, she wanted this just as much as he did.

" Erin."

It was the first time since she had pulled up into the Silos that he had looked at her. There was determination in his eyes. With just her name, she knew there was no going back from here. This was her out. He was giving her his last warning. Leave if it's too much, stay if it isn't. Either way, Bingham would be dead tonight, and buried in a shallow grave not long after.

"We do it together then." Erin told him, voice firm.

"I said leave." By this point Hank knew it was futile, the look Al saw earlier in the day, was on full display. Erin wasn't going anywhere. Now Hank had a choice to make; Avenge Justin, or save Erin from this path. Just as he was about to decide Erin made the decision for him, and walked back to her vehicle.

"No, no, you can't! Erin right? Erin, don't, please!"

The two watched as Erin moved to her trunk. She removed her 'Police' emblazoned vest, and returned with a revolver in hand. "Keep digging." Erin points the firearm at Bingham, and moves to lean on the SUV, right next to Hank.

Either way, Erin made the decision for Hank. They would live with the consequences of this day whenever the day comes.

"Some fucking cop you are." Bingham grunts as he continues to dig.

"You don't need to be here." They both knew the decision was made, but Hank figures it wouldn't hurt to try one last time. Just watching Paul Bingham breathe air was for turning Hank's stomach upside down.

"Justin was your son but he was also my brother." Erin tells Hank in a hushed angry tone. "You made him my brother. You can't make me walk away, of all days, not today."

Hank stares down Bingham, and somehow he knows that he's just run out of time. He gives up shoveling dirt and decides it's time to mouth off.

"I did you a favor." He yells as he throws the shovel away. "He's the kind of son you worry about right? Cause he don't have the smarts to survive."

They both begin a menacing walk toward the SOB that killed their family member. He would not be surviving the next 30 seconds if he didn't dial it down.

"I bet you probably waited up every night waiting on that phone call. Well, at least the phone call is over with."

Erin raised her gun and pointed it at his chest. The nerve of the guy to stand there and brag about killing Justin, it was too much to continue hearing.

"I'm going to tell you what I told him, right before I put a bullet in his head. Go fuck-"

As if they'd been doing it for years, they both pulled the trigger at the same time. None were eager to hear him finish his sentence. Erin put a bullet in his heart for the pain he caused their family. Hank put a bullet in his head for the manner in which he killed his son. The deed was done, but it did nothing for the pain they felt.

The take turns digging the hole, making sure it's deep enough that some anima couldn't unearth him. They work in silence. Neither felt a need to speak. Justin was gone, and nothing would bring him back.

After they were done, the both just leaned against Hank's SUV, watching the rain pelt the ground that now housed Justin's killer.

Hank puts a hand on the back of her neck. "I wasn't a very good father today."

"This isn't on you Hank."

"To you. I wasn't good father to you. I'm sorry."

Erin starts to cry; slowly it builds to heart wrenching sobs. Hands on her face she bends over like she's struggling to catch her breath. She doesn't know what exactly he's apologizing for, but it doesn't seem to matter. The tears she's been holding back, and the pain she's been feeling all day, becomes too much. She is overtaken by grief.

"Come here." He made her stand, cradling her head, he brought her into his chest. "Well get through this. Together, we'll get through this." He echoed the same sentiments she'd whispered to him after his wife passed. There they both remained for some time, in the rain, crying for Justin.

"We should get out of the rain." Hank said after they'd both calmed a little. He received a nod from Erin.

"I'll be at the house in a bit." She whispered as she walked off.

"Hey!" Hank called as she was about to get in the car. "Drive safe." There was urgency, a need in his voice that neither of them was accustomed to.

"You too." She replied, voice hoarse from crying, the same urgency present.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Where the hell have you been?" Halstead asked her as she got to her door.

"Not now Jay." She walked behind him fishing her keys out of her pocket.

"Erin. Voight sent us to an empty house. You both stopped answering your phones. What happened? Where's Bingham?"

"How would I know?" She turned to him as she opened her door, blocking him from entering behind her.

"Tell me you didn't go along with it." Jay pleaded with her; he knew something had changed since he'd last spoken to her.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Jesus Erin!" He ran his hand through his hair, afraid for what this meant for his girlfriend, for their unit, for everything.

"Justin is dead Jay. I'm sorry, but I'd really like to be alone right now."

"You shouldn't be alone."

"There are a lot of things that shouldn't be." She was still testy at the moment, still raw from grief. "Go home Jay." She took a deep breath, and exhaled slowing, trying to keep her emotions in check. "Please go home. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Okay." He didn't want to leave, but he had no choice, he wasn't welcome.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hank's been watching the street from his family room window for the last 10 minutes. Erin should have been there already. His fingers were itching to call her phone, but he figured he'd give her another couple of minutes before he really began to worry.

"You okay Hank?" Olive asked him from her place in the dining room.

"Yeah. Erin just pulled up." He replied as he made his way to the front door.

"You picked up a tail." He informed Erin as she exited her car.

"Yeah. He was sitting on my place when I got there. I doubt he'll stay long." Hank took her overnight bag from her and gave her a questioning glance when she removed another older looking duffle from the car. "Clothes I was wearing earlier." She spoke softly enough that only they heard. They both knew they were careful, but it didn't hurt to be too careful. The clothes, shoes, everything would have to be burned.

It was an odd thing to feel proud of. There was something to be said about the nature versus nature debate. Sure Erin wasn't biologically his, but she was his daughter in all the ways that ever counted. The resolve in her eyes mere hours earlier was all he'd ever need to settle it.

Still, it was also something he'd hoped she'd made it to the end of her career and never even thought of doing. He was no saint, and he's made a trip or two to the silos before. He wasn't proud of it, but it was necessary. Some people deserved a fate worse than prison.

"Come on, let's go through the back." He said after placing a kiss to her forehead.

There fire pit was already ablaze, the melting rubber of what she assumed were Hank's boots were pretty much all that was visible. She squirted a bit of lighter fluid into the fire to really get it going and opened the duffel to start throwing her belongings in the fire, and finally the duffel itself. She wanted no trace of the night to be left.

Erin moved to shield the fire from sight as she heard the back door creak open.

"Don't worry." Hank told Erin beckoning her closer to him, "She's family," referring to Olive as she came down the deck steps to meet them, three beers in hand.

"I thought you two could use these." She offered them one each.

They sipped their beers in peace, watching the articles of clothing burn, every so often adding wood and lighter fluid to make sure all they were left with was ash.

"I know we'll never speak about this again. So let me say this now … Thank you." Olive whispered as tears fall down her face.

"There's nothing to say thank you for." Hank told her as he brought his arm around her shoulder, making eye contact with Erin over Olive's head.

"Right. Family takes care of family, simple as that." Erin added, maintaining eye contact with her father. Her words were meant for him as much as they were meant for Olive.


End file.
